World Wide Woozle episode #680

Welcome back, long suffering listeners.

Curmudgeon (noun): a person, especially an old man, who is easily annoyed or angered and who often complains.

I bet you know a curmudgeon or two. Maybe you are one. Contrary to popular belief, and an ever growing number of "grumpy old man" t-shirts, it's not a good thing. Hang in there because I will eventually make a point.

Fat Dog - Cancel Me (I'm Tired) - https://youtu.be/JZFBMdQLPyM

I've been working on this episode for quite a while and at some point I got grumpy. Things that shouldn't bother me in the slightest started to add up into a messy tetris puzzle of annoyance in my brain. To name but a few, I was stewing about how people hold a pen (if you wrap your thumb around your first finger you can't see what you're doing), table manners (it's not a shovel), the complete overuse of the word 'like' (and I was like she said like let's go to like town and like get a milkshake), perfume (why do all these stylish people smell like fly spray), mobile phones (you can go for a walk without reading it), and the list goes on. A part of me wanted to expose all of these atrocities in a fit of anger and self-righteousness but I won't do that. I'm going to write from time to time about stuff that lifts me up and things I like (without saying 'like' all the time of course).

The Rolling Stones - Angry - https://youtu.be/_mEC54eTuGw

Before I get right into things, let me tell you a story. In 2013 I was given a beautiful gift and along with it came a letter. In 2013 my brain was not working well at all and I have no memory of getting the letter let alone reading it. A few years ago now, when I moved into HQ World Wide Woozle, I found the letter and it sat me back on my heels. It also made me cry. It was, and is beautiful. One part of it reminds me not to become a grumpy old man. Well, better late than never and I've taken that to heart. Being perpetually grumpy and annoyed is easy and it's toxic. I'm not going to say that being positive all the time is simple or even natural, but trying to frame life that way is so much better. Even if you're determined that your glass is half empty, you can work towards filling it. Lots of groovy small things really do add up.

The Proclaimers - Letter From America - https://youtu.be/yy9GmieAEaQ

I like fountain pens. Before we had ballpoint pens at school we had to learn with ink. It was messy and quite annoying at times and my cursive script was horrific. In the equivalent of grade 6, our teacher broke down and made us all relearn handwriting. Thank you Mrs Harker of Tawa Intermediate School in 1982; you made my life infinitely easier. When I was struggling with the effort it was taking to write in a journal every day, I remembered about fountain pens and that I had one. I still baulk at writing down my thoughts from time to time but the pen makes it easier.

The Moody Blues - Dear Diary - https://youtu.be/F-ZRTzEgM-I

I like dogs and that's never been a secret. One day I'll have one of my own again. I say hello to every dog I meet when I'm out walking and given that I walk a lot, that's a big number of canines. Sometimes their humans say hello as well. It's rare for a dog to ignore me so I think I must smell OK. I'll be dog sitting again next weekend after an extended break as a result of my back injuries and rehab. I am very, very excited!

Dolly Parton - Cracker Jack - https://youtu.be/h-Jaz0CW4Sk

I like flannel shirts, I always have. They are warm. They are cheap. You can undo the buttons if you're out walking in the bush and you get too warm. You can tear one off to wave at swooping magpies near the ruins on Mulligan's Flat (two weeks ago). You can roll one up for a backrest on the bus and then wear it again without needing an iron. When it's cold and you're refusing to run the heating you can wear two or three and be toasty**. Coming home from Adelaide I was even complimented on my flannie by a woman in the boarding queue, although it was my dress one from Rip Curl! Recently discovered photos have reminded me that I wore them a lot as a teen as well.

The Angels - Fashion and Fame - https://youtu.be/g49Jd1LR2vI

Before I finish I want to recognise the passing of Angry Anderson. Angry packed a lot of power and passion into his life and music. I remember meeting him very briefly at the Melbourne Zoo in 1988. His stature as a legend of Australian rock and roll is without question. I was fortunate enough to see him in front of Rose Tattoo a few years ago and it was great. His vocals were horrendous for the first song and a half and then something clicked and he was on fire all night.

Rose Tattoo - Rock 'n Roll is King (live) - https://youtu.be/BgR9px2tHsc

I might go cycling tomorrow and that will be four weekends in a row. That's groovy.

Keep smiling,

The Woozle

"Now I don't need to worry 'bout tomorrow
Ain't anticipating what's to come
And I don't need to worry 'bout
The things I have not done
Long as I've got rock and roll
I'm forever young..."

Cinderella, One For Rock and Roll, 1990.

**maybe just run the heating next winter you idiot...